Hi All,
a couple of people had asked me to update with how DS1 was getting on at his montessori primary school, and we've just had parent's evening and SATS so I thought now would be a good time to say what we think of the Montessori approach and how it benefits our son.
So, at the end of year 1 in his regular state school he was behind with his reading and writing and just about average for maths.
He has now finished year 2 in the Montessori school and has hit a level 3 (!) in maths and science, 2a in reading, 2b for speaking and listening. His writing is very messy and he doesn't spell well, so he only got a 1b for that, so they've already got an action plan to help practice those 2 things and get him back on track.
Now, clearly he may have made progress anyway, we'll never know. But we're exceptionally pleased with the school. It really is a fantastic environment for him to be in. The teaching methods rely a lot on visual aids which of course are perfect for a child on the spectrum. The use of the learning aids is always done in a very specific way, pieces are taken out in certain orders and placed on the table in certain ways... this all appeals to a child who loves rules :)
Montessori teaching seems very much to look at each child on an individual basis, and their learning is geared around this. So the child who enjoys maths will be given free rein to take that as far as they want to without being held back because it isn't what the class is doing that week (if that makes sense). During one science topic DS1 showed a keen interest in rocks and gems, so was allowed an impromptu trip up to the library to see if they had books on it and to carry on reading about that.
of course the things they like less, or struggle with are addressed to, and they seem to try and find a way of engaging the child without putting them off.
I am really just so happy with the school. It was the very first positive parent's evening we've had for DS1 and I very nearly cried when they said how well he was getting on.
In a nutshell I would highly recommend it for any autistic child if you have the opportunity